Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-19
BEEcHER's YOUNGER DAYS.
The Story of His Youth as Told BY Him
self.

Inc CbOIY O1 Ills 1ouAA as lOlu I1llll-
self.
A New York newspaper man, a reporter
for The World, went to Henry Ward Beecher
one day to get from his own lips a story Of
his life.
"My childhood" he said, "was perhaps no
different from that of others seventy years
ago. The little ones in those days were not
given the consideration that is now accorded
them, and properly so, too. A literature for
children was not dreamed of. There were no
chldren's festivals and holidays; no Christ
mas and New Years parties. The only time
that brought US any especial favor was
Thanksgiving, when New England house
wives We'd with one another in the compost
ton of unique pies in limitless quantity.
81 didn't have any jumping jacks, nor tops,
nor marbles, nor toys of any kind. 1t doesn't
seem to me that l knew any boys to play
with, either We lived in part of the vii
lage where there didn't seem to be any boys.
"And so was let alone. My father was
kept busy with his pastoral duties, and my
mother had so many other children to attend
to that little attention was paid to me- Still
was not lonesome. 1 was not fond of read
ing, but used to like to tramp about the
woods and down by the brooks and among
the fens and brakes. would go on a hunt
for sweet flag and sasSafras, and L knew just
where to find the squirrels found plenty to
do
Sometimes my father would whip me. ]
remember that he used to tell me that the
whipping hurt him more than it did me. 1t
was hard to believe, because he was strong
man, but I believed it, and it used to make
me cry to be told so: then of course l had to
on1 oil in all
those were very doeful episodes"
He gave this picture of himself at school;
his first teacher was known as "the Widow
Kilbourn:n "a hay image of myself comes
back to me-a lazy, dreamy boy, with his
head on the desk, half lulled asleep by the
bu2zing of a great bluebottle fly, and the low
mo of the cows and the tinkling of their
bells. brought in the open door across the
sunny fields and meadows"
1t was after he had passed some time at his
sisters school for girls-the only boy among
forty Young lasses-and had studied year
at the Boston Latin school, that he made up
his mind that he wanted to 60 to sea. Ot this
period in his life he said:
"NIy father let me read the stories of Nelson
and Capt. Cook. The adventure fever that
often seizes boys took hold Of me. had all
sorts of fancy drawn pictures OF what
might do in the jungles and deserts OF the
Orient
81 used to lounge about the docks and
"harves in Boston and listen to the shouts OF
The sailors and watch the great merchantmen
make ready for their voyage to the Indies.
Al last could stand it no longer. deter
mined to go to sea, and had actually made all
arrangements when my father discovered my
purpose by chance.
de did not oppose me. strange as it may
on, Ill he advised me to 90 to Mt. Pleas
"l,s academy, at Amherst, and prepare my
sell, by the study Of navigation and uatbe-
I pI'Ds. l $ a seafaring life. And to Mt.
Pleasant went, and in a little while FORGOT f
all about my boysh freal, ~ AT' ga ga
study, and when left was et+a l,e. &c oiu
Amherst College At college Sf,',; ~ eUet
liked and didn't study what -. " , li''O
Much of my time was spent in rDnnina, oi'a..
among the hills and georges near the oI,ai,,t
Old town. was a powerful young feIIo1,
with wind and perspiration up to high w.t..
marx was runner and a gymnast and
,"hd OF kicking the football. And was ve,.,,
iona OF good time; full of jokes and iollity
VI all kinds and always ready for anything